What Can Someone Expect When They Hire You As A DUI Attorney?

As an attorney, I try to do everything for my clients. I want them to be able to live their lives as if this never happened with the idea of being much more cautious and not putting themselves in this position again, certainly not getting another DUI while the case is going on. I go to court and appear for my clients at the arraignment, keeping in mind that I may need them at future court appearances. I do not always need my clients there to resolve the case; we can often do that without them there.

I need to review paperwork with my clients, which can be done long distance, and I represent people all over the country, all over the state and all over the world all the time. So sending paperwork to and from my office is not a problem. So if you were arrested on the East Coast and you have a DUI in the San Francisco Bay Area, most likely you’re not going to have to come back to California. In some cases, you might, but most of the time this is not the case. So, what I do for my clients is I request a DMV hearing, set the date for the hearing, attend it, continue the hearing if it needs to be continued and go back to the DMV as many times as it takes.

I almost always do the DMV hearings in person; I think it’s very important to do them that way. This allows me to see the document that the DMV has; moreover, I have a professional relationship with the DMV hearing officers, who get to know me better by seeing me in person. Having known many of these hearing officers over the course of many years is a big part of the success that I have with the DMV. It’s just like that in any other business: personal relationships are important. So, there is the DMV part of it, and then there is the court part of it.

Typically, I will attend every court appearance. It can happen that a client comes in and hires me, and I am already in one of the courthouses and cannot be at their arraignment, so I will have another attorney, whom I trust, attend the arraignment and either continue it or set a date that I request. We then get the police report, set a new court date, enter a plea of not guilty and start fighting the case. I continue to go to court and communicate with the prosecutor in the case or a supervisor if there is no one assigned to it and try to get the case dismissed or negotiate with the DA’s office. If motions offer the possibility of success, then we file them, and I’m the one who conducts those hearings.

In less than 2 percent of the cases, I go to trial and am usually the one arguing the case. So, communication with clients is very important, and I always try and get back to them as quickly as I can. I don’t go on vacation very much, so I am very good at getting back to my clients right away. They’re welcome to call me and have my cell phone number so they can call me on weekends and evenings. My clients can also text or email me; I’m very easy to get a hold of. Basically, my clients are getting someone who cares about them, who fights their case with passion and keeps them updated when there’s new information.

Is The Attorney Generally Notified Of Court Updates Or Is It Just The Client?

When someone is arrested for a DUI, the court doesn’t know who the attorney is, so the client gets the date on a typed or handwritten piece of paper, which is a notice to appear. This is given to the attorney they hire. Once that’s done, the attorney will show up for them or make arrangements for another attorney to do so. After that, the attorney will set a new court date. The client is informed of this by the attorney, not the court, at least in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sometimes, clients have to post bail, particularly in Sonoma County, which requires clients to bail out every time they get arrested for a DUI, rather than being released on their own recognizance. In this case, their bail bondsman may send them updates on when their next court date is. But in any event, the court does not send out notices. This responsibility is ultimately on the defendant through their attorney or bail bondsman.

For more information on Hiring DUI Defense Attorney Aaron Bortel, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (415) 523-7878 today.